Pronunciation
Coleoptera - Co`le*op"te*ra (coe-lee-OP-ter-rah)
Synonyms and other taxonomic changes
The Coleoptera have undergone
A LOT of recent taxonomic changes, as reflected in
American Beetles. Many groups that were once at family rank are now considered subfamilies and vice versa. If you can't find your group, search with a wildcard, e.g. Pselaphi* - Pselaphidae was commonly used but is now treated as the subfamily Pselaphinae in the Staphylinidae.
Another quick way to find a group is to go to the Taxonomy tab and click the "view all" link -- you will get one long page with all taxa.
Changes from American Beetles
1. The Bruchids were retained as a separate family [chapter 121], but this doesn't appear to be generally accepted - rank as subfamily of the Chrysomelidae.
2. Use Kateretidae (Short-winged Flower Beetles) for Brachypteridae.
3. Monommatidae and Colydiidae are downgraded to subfamilies of Zopheridae
4. Ceratocanthidae sunk into Hybosoridae
5. Languriidae sunk into Erotylidae
Explanation of Names
Coleoptera is derived from the Greek koleon (κολεον) meaning "sheath" and ptera (πτερα) meaning "wings" (though the word koleopteros (κολεοπτερος) was used to describe beetles as far back as Aristotle). This refers to the modified front wings (elytra) which serve as protective covers for the membranous hind wings.
Eric Partridge, in Origins: a Short Etymological Dictionary of Modern English (1958), gives the meaning of English beetle as "the little biter", derived ultimately from Old English bitela, from the verb bitan (long -i) meaning, to bite.
Numbers
This is the largest order in the animal kingdom, with more than 350,000 described species worldwide, representing about 40 percent of known insects.
Over 23,000 species in 131 families
(1)(2) have been described in North America.
All North American families are listed below under "Identification", including those for which no images are currently in the guide.
Size
Body length ranges from about 0.3 mm up to 200 mm (in tropical rhinoceros and goliath beetles)
Identification
--- SCROLL DOWN FOR OVERVIEW OF FAMILIES ---
Adult: elytra (forewings) horny or leathery, almost always meeting in a straight line down the back and covering the hindwing. The hindwings (the ones used in flight) are membranous, usually longer than the elytra, and folded beneath the elytra when not in use. Occasionally the elytra are short and do not cover the entire abdomen.
1 or both pairs of wings are rarely reduced or absent. The antennae usually have 11 segments, they rarely have more, often with 8–10, rarely with as little as 2; antennae variable in shape. The tarsi (the distal part of the legs) usually 3 to 5 segmented. Abdomen commonly has 5 segments visible, sometimes with up to 8. Mouthparts of adults and most larvae adapted for chewing.
Larva: variable in form, hardness of body, and development of appendages, but commonly with hardened (sclerotized) head capsule, 3 pairs of thoracic legs, no wings, and soft body
The order is divided into four
suborders, with
Polyphaga having the vast majority of species.
Notes:
1.
images needed - Can you add? See "
Beetle Family Wish List"
These families are currently linked to Google(TM) image search and/or display linked image.
WARNING: not all images correspond to the search parameter - always open link and read carefully.
2. Number in [ ] following Family name corresponds to Chapter in American Beetles
(1) (2)
Order Coleoptera
Family Cupedidae - Reticulated Beetles [1]
Family Micromalthidae - Telephone-pole Beetles [2]
Family Sphaeriusidae - Minute Bog Beetles [3] (=Microsporidae)
images needed
Family Hydroscaphidae - Skiff Beetles [4]
Family Rhysodidae - Wrinkled Bark Beetles [5]
Family Carabidae - Ground Beetles [6]
Family Gyrinidae - Whirligig Beetles [7]
Family
Haliplidae - Crawling Water Beetles [8]
Family
Trachypachidae - False Ground Beetles [9]
Family
Noteridae - Burrowing Water Beetles [10]
Family
Amphizoidae - Trout-stream Beetles [11]
Family
Dytiscidae - Predaceous Diving Beetles [12]
Family
Hydrophilidae - Water Scavenger Beetles [13]
Family
Sphaeritidae - False Clown Beetles [14]
Family
Histeridae - Clown Beetles [15]
Family
Hydraenidae - Minute Moss Beetles [16]
Family
Ptiliidae - Featherwinged Beetles [17]
Family
Agyrtidae - Primitive Carrion Beetles [18]
Family
Leiodidae - Round Fungus Beetles [19]
Family
Scydmaenidae - Ant-like Stone Beetles [20]
Family
Silphidae - Carrion Beetles [21]
Family
Staphylinidae - Rove Beetles [22]
Family
Lucanidae - Stag Beetles [23]
Family
Diphyllostomatidae - False Stag Beetles [24]
Family
Passalidae - Bess Beetles [25]
Family
Glaresidae - Enigmatic Scarab Beetles [26]
Family
Trogidae - Hide Beetles [27]
Family
Pleocomidae - Rain Beetles [28]
Family
Geotrupidae - Earth-Boring Dung Beetles [29]
Family
Ochodaeidae - Sand-loving Scarab Beetles [30]
Family
Hybosoridae - Scavenger Beetles [31 & 32]
Family
Glaphyridae - Bumble Bee Scarab Beetles [33]
Family
Scarabaeidae - Scarab Beetles [34]
Family
Eucinetidae - Plate-thigh Beetles [35]
Family
Clambidae - Minute Beetles [36]
Family
Scirtidae - Marsh Beetles [37]
Family
Dascillidae - Soft-bodied Plant Beetles [38]
Family
Rhipiceridae - Cicada Parasite Beetles [39]
Family
Schizopodidae - False Jewel Beetles [40]
Family
Buprestidae - Metallic Wood-boring Beetles [41]
Family
Byrrhidae - Pill Beetles [42]
Family
Elmidae - Riffle Beetles [43]
Family
Dryopidae - Long-toed Water Beetles [44]
Family
Lutrochidae - Travertine Beetles [45]
Family
Limnichidae - Minute Marsh-loving Beetles [46]
Family
Heteroceridae - Variegated Mud-loving Beetles [47]
Family
Psephenidae - Water Penny Beetles [48]
Family
Ptilodactylidae - Toe-winged Beetles [49]
Family
Chelonariidae - Turtle Beetles [50]
Family
Eulichadidae - Forest Stream Beetles [51]
images needed
Family
Callirhipidae - Callirhipid Cedar Beetles [52]
Family
Artematopodidae - Soft-bodied Plant Beetles [53]
Family
Brachypsectridae - Texas Beetles [54]
Family
Cerophytidae - Rare Click Beetles [55]
Family
Eucnemidae - False Click Beetles [56]
Family
Throscidae - False Metallic Wood-boring Beetles [57]
Family
Elateridae - Click Beetles [58]
Family
Lycidae - Net-winged Beetles [59]
Family
Telegeusidae - Long-lipped Beetles [60]
images needed
Family
Phengodidae - Glowworm Beetles [61]
Family
Lampyridae - Fireflies [62]
Family
Omethidae - False Soldier Beetles [63]
Family
Cantharidae - Soldier Beetles [64]
Family
Jacobsoniidae - Jacobsoniid Beetles [65]
Family
Derodontidae - Tooth-necked Fungus Beetles [66]
Family
Nosodendridae - Wounded-tree Beetles [67]
Family
Dermestidae - Carpet Beetles [68]
Family
Bostrichidae - Horned Powder-post Beetles [69]
Family
Anobiidae - Death-watch and Spider Beetles [70]
Family
Lymexylidae - Ship-timber Beetles [71]
Family
Trogossitidae - Bark-gnawing Beetles [72]
Family
Cleridae - Checkered Beetles [73]
Family
Melyridae - Soft-winged Flower Beetles [74]
Family
Sphindidae - Cryptic Slime Mold Beetles [75]
Family
Kateretidae - Short-winged Flower Beetles [76]
Family
Nitidulidae - Sap-feeding Beetles [77]
Family
Smicripidae - Palmetto Beetles [78]
Family
Monotomidae - Root-eating Beetles [79]
Family
Silvanidae - Silvanid Flat Bark Beetles [80]
Family
Passandridae - Parasitic Flat Bark Beetles [81]
Family
Cucujidae - Flat Bark Beetles [82]
Family
Laemophloeidae - Lined Flat Bark Beetles [83]
Family
Phalacridae - Shining Flower Beetles [84]
Family
Cryptophagidae - Silken Fungus Beetles [85]
Family
Erotylidae - Pleasing Fungus Beetles [86 & 87]
Family
Byturidae - Fruitworm Beetles [88]
Family
Biphyllidae - False Skin Beetles [89]
Family
Bothrideridae - Dry Bark Beetles [90]
Family
Cerylonidae - Minute Bark Beetles [91]
Family
Endomychidae - Handsome Fungus Beetles [92]
Family
Coccinellidae - Ladybird Beetles [93]
Family
Corylophidae - Minute Hooded Beetles [94]
Family
Latridiidae - Minute Brown Scavenger Beetles [95]
Family
Mycetophagidae - Hairy Fungus Beetles [96]
Family
Archeocrypticidae - Cryptic Fungus Beetles [97]
Family
Ciidae - Minute Tree-fungus Beetles [98]
Family
Tetratomidae - Polypore Fungus Beetles [99]
Family
Melandryidae - False Darkling Beetles [100]
Family
Mordellidae - Tumbling Flower Beetles [101]
Family
Rhipiphoridae - Wedge-shaped Beetles [102]
Family
Zopheridae - Ironclad Beetles [103, 104 & 105]
Family
Tenebrionidae - Darkling Beetles [106]
Family
Prostomidae - Jugular-horned Beetles [107]
Family
Synchroidae - Synchroa Bark Beetles [108]
Family
Oedemeridae - False Blister Beetles [109]
Family
Stenotrachelidae - False Longhorn Beetles [110]
Family
Meloidae - Blister Beetles [111]
Family
Mycteridae - Palm and Flower Beetles [112]
Family
Boridae - Conifer Bark Beetles [113]
Family
Pythidae - Dead Log Beetles [114]
Family
Pyrochroidae - Fire-Colored Beetles [115]
